Not a good forecast for Monday night (New Year's Eve)

From Fox 4's weather forecast today on their Facebook page. (Click on picture for better viewing).

This doesn't look good.

Near 90 Sunday?

You got that right. 87 degrees--nearly 90--forecast by NBC 41 Action News this evening, for Sunday's weather. I'm still dying to hear Mike Thompson climb down off his earlier "There's no such thing as 'global warming' or 'climate change'" stance. As Mr. Thompson himself pointed out this evening, this is the normal forecast temperature for--get this--July 3. Yowza. Enjoy your weekend, y'all.

Mike Thompson change his stance on human-caused global warming?

I read once where Mike Thompson, meteorologist at Fox4KC took a pretty public stance that our weather status, to date, was not likely made worse by human activity, specifically, our carbon dioxide output, at least. Well, ABC Evening News reported last evening that 1300 heat records were broken in one week, last week, while there was snow, conversely, in Arizona and outside San Diego. Additionally, there have been, so far this year, 250 tornadoes--twice the normal number. And check out some of those record highs in this video: Chicago, which should be in the 40's, has been in the 80's, like Kansas City and Atlanta. Cedar Rapids? Same thing---in the 80's. International freaking Falls, Minnesota, usually one of the coldest spots in the country, hit 79 degrees, smashing their previous record high by 22 degrees. And sure, this could be just a fluke but still, it's happening. In addition to the temperature records being broken, there's this: there was a pollen count in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday of 8,164 and even that is breaking--smashing, actually--records so it's temperatures and pollen counts, both. A normal count for June would be 100. The bigger issues for me and the world, I think, are the polar ice caps and glaciers all over the world are melting and shrinking at record paces. Since Mr. Thompson took such a stance earlier, it would be interesting to see if and when he ever comes down off his earlier proclamations and stances. Link: http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/03/19/447610/fixing-errors-uk-met-office-says-2010-2005-hottest-years-on-record-world-warming-faster-than-thought/?mobile=nc

On climate change: It's not whether we're hot or cold

One more time, it's important to point out, it's not whether you or I are cold or hot here on any given day.  It's the arctic ice caps and glaciers.  It's this stuff:

Washing Away The Arctic Coastline

Two-thirds of the Arctic coastline is made of permafrost — an environment that is very sensitive to warming temperatures. A new report says erosion is causing these coastline regions to recede by an average of 1.5 feet per year.

Unlike rock shoreline, permafrost loses its structure when it warms above freezing. "Surface air temperatures have reached record levels over the past decade," the report from an international consortium found. Combine this with weakened permafrost and there's a recipe for erosion.

Heightened temperatures have also melted sea ice; with this gone, wind can whip up stronger waves that are able to erode the softened Arctic coastline.

Researchers studied more than 62,000 miles of Arctic coast and analyzed climate data. Northwestern Canada and Northeastern Russia showed the largest changes: Coastlines there have receded by as much as 25 feet per year. Researchers say these changes will have a major impact on arctic ecosystems.

There's a map of the affected areas here.

It's these kinds of things, ladies and gentlemen.  It's not whether we had a particularly cold, snowy and/or icy winter.  That and the fact that, for another example, last year was the warmest on this planet ever.  It's that kind of hard data.

So heads up, folks.  Things are changing.  The way we exist on this planet isn't sustainable.

And Mike Thompson, meteorologist over at Fox 4 Weather?  You might check this out.

Links:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2011/04/19/135510923/washing-away-the-arctic-coastline?print=1
http://www.fox4kc.com/weather/wdaf-mikethompson-478241,0,5992423.story

Local weather forecasters and Dick Cheney

They should both just shut up.

Yesterday, on the front page of the Star, there was an article asking local meteorologists about global warming/climate change and whether or not they thought this winter proved or disproved anything.

Really.

That's liking asking the guy who just fixed your brakes about the international automobile market.

It makes no sense.

Sure, he has an opinion but it likely isn't an informed one.

How about let's ask the scientists who are studying the planet and not the guy who's watching a cold front coming in from Canada?

The fact is, snow or no snow in Dallas, the glaciers--around the world, mind you--are melting.

The ice caps are melting.

The oceans are rising, due to that melt-off.

Islands are shrinking and disappearing.

And we just had our warmest year ever, on record, and a whole lot more, but sure, let's focus on a few isolated snow storms.

The fact is, there is also a strong likelihood that, with the warming oceans, there is more moisture in the air and that this is what's causing the snow storms.

Insanity.

And then there was Dick Cheney on the television news shows yesterday morning, shooting off his mouth, too, on what this current Presidential administration in Washington is doing wrong.

Whatever happened to Vice Presidents who got out of the White House and did the respectable and respectful thing of shutting up and going on with their lives?

I don't ever remember a more troublesome or mouthy ex-Vice President than this one.

So yeah, guys, do us all a favor and shut yer pie holes, k?